Drums for washing and similar machines



Jan. 3, 19 61 DHOOGE 2,966,786

DRUMS FOR WASHING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Filed June 24, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Emile 0 'Hoo a, IM EA T mo -Maw A TTORA/AWI Jan. 3, 1961 D'HQOGE 2,966,786

DRUMS FOR WASHING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Filed June 24, 1957' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Emi le 10. HD1 8, Mmvm? PERM W Jan. 3, 1961 D'HOQGE 2,966,786

DRUMS FOR WASHING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Filed June 24, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1M my;

Emil]: D 'Haqgg/VEN P A 9 9 1C Patented Jan. 3, 19

2,966,786 DRUMS FOR WASHING AND SIMILAR MACHINES Emile DHooge, Ghent, Belgium, assignor to Ateliers de Construction Emile DHooge, Societe de Personnes a responsabilite limitee, Ghent, Belgium Filed June 24, 1957, Ser. No. 667,397 Claims priority, application Belgium Mar. 22, 1957 1 Claim. 01. 68-143) This invention concerns the drums which are generally used for washing machines, which drums are mounted on or made to turn about a horizontal shaft.

It is essential that such drums should fulfill at least the following requirements: the drum must be subdivided in at least two semi-cylindrical or approximately semicylindrical chambers each of which shall preferably be divided into compartments by at least one cross-partition. In this way, the amount of linen to be treated can be adequately divided inside the drum.

Another important consideration is that aforesaid semicylindrical chambers must be permanently interconnected so as not to interfere with the action of the washing solution, due account being taken of the fact that aforesaid drum whose periphery is completely perforated rotates in the liquid medium contained in the fixed tank of the machine. The fulfillment of this condition requires that the partition between the semi-cylindrical chambers be perforated as well. But this very condition leads to a further requirement, namely that of preserving the linen against any tearing action which might be caused for instance by the edges of the perforations in aforesaid partition. The problem can thus be summed-up as follows: to ensure aforesaid permanent communication between adjacent chambers of the rotary drum without causing any damage to the linen contained therein.

It is also important that the chambers be designed so as to be separately accessible whilst the closing devices of the openings giving access to the latter must be such that no dangerous break of continuity can take place in the relative movement between the washing solutions and the linen.

The improvements described below have been designed in order to fulfill the various conditions in a simple but systematic way. Besides, aforesaid improvements are such, that all these requirements are fulfilled without recourse to complications which would hamper the rational construction of such drums on an industrial scale, notwithstanding their apparent complexity.

All these characteristics will appear more clearly from the detailed description given hereafter of a constructional type with reference to the appended drawings which are however to be considered merely by way of example without implying any limitation with respect to the scope of the characteristics of the invention itself. In those drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a drum of improved design according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section by a plane perpendicular to the axis, through line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section by a plane through the axis, along line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a front view of one of the plates of which the wall represented by Figure 4 is formed;

Figure 6 is a section by a perpendicular plane through line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a front view of a second plate as used for forming the wall represented in Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a cross-section by a perpendicular plane along line VIII-VIII of Figure 7.

In this constructional design, the drum substantially consists of the cylindrical or approximately cylindrical chamber 1 mounted on a horizontal axis 2, whereby this chamber comprises two diametrically opposite plane faces 3-4. Internally, aforesaid cylindrical chamber 1 has two pronounced diametrically opposite ribs 5-6, a diametral partition 7, and in each approximately semi-cylindrical chamber 1-1", a transverse median partition 8-9 respectively.

Aforesaid approximately semi-cylindrical chamber 1-1" is enclosed in a perforated cylindrical wall 10-11 respectively which has been locally distorted to form aforesaid deep ribs, 5-6 respectively, whereby each of aforesaid cylindrical wall 10-11 extends from one of the edges of the diametral partition 7 to the top edge of the flat surface 3-4 respectively. These semi-cylindrical chambers are delimited laterally by end-flanges 12-13 and are divided internally into two generally equal parts by aforesaid solid cross-partitions 8-9 respectively.

Each of the flat faces 3-4 has a wide opening which can be closed by a double door with flaps of unequal height. In the particular example shown in Figure 2, each opening is provided with one large flap 14-15 respectively and one small flap 16-17 respectively. Aforesaid large flaps carry a locking device 18-19 respectively by means of which they can be securely locked in the closed position. The flaps are also perforated.

The diametral partition 7 is of very special design and constitutes one of the main characteristics of the invention. As schematized more particularly in Figures 2, 4, and 5 to 8, it consists substantially of two perforated sheets a front view and the profile of which are shown in Figures 5 and 6 respectively, both sheets being mutually opposed as shown more especially in Figure 2. In this particular instance, aforesaid sheets or plates 20-21 are recessed at 22-23 in such way, that these recesses which face each other constitute a hollow core for aforesaid drum 1. The part of each plate 20-21 located beyond aforesaid recess is perforated, whereby the perforations 24 are obtained by embossing the metal so that, on one face of aforesaid plate 20-21, each hole extends into a small neck such as 25. Aforesaid plates 20-21 are furthermore cut so as to have assembly edges such as 26-27 and 28, and a slit 29 which affords a passage for the transverse partitions 8-9 respectively.

The perforated parts of aforesaid plates 20-21 are covered by counter-plates 30-31 respectively, generally fixed by soldering and shaped as illustrated in the front view of Figure 7 and in the cross-section of Figure 8. Each counter-plate has two longitudinal edges 32-33 and 34-35 respectively; between these edges, aforesaid counter-plates are perforated in the same way as aforesaid plates 20-21. Holes such as 36 are in fact obtained by embossing the metal so that, on one of the faces of the plate they extend into a short neck such as 37. Both on the plates and on the counter-plates these holes and necks are of equal sizes and occupy the same relative position so that, when the plates are facing each other as shown more especially in Figure 4, they build a diametrical partition whose perforated part is of double thickness, the perforations of which constitute bodily channels such as 38 which are bell-mouthed and roundedoff at each end so as to avoid all projections which might tear the linen.

In this way, a drum is obtained which is remarkably efiicient for carrying-round the linen permanently immersed in the washing liquids contained in the fixed tank in which aforesaid drum is rotating. Experience has shown that in an apparatus of such design, the linen is much less subjected to wear, whilst the elficiency of the mechanical action resulting from the rotation of the drum, from the movements of the linen in the various compartments of the latter and from the movement of the washing solutions, is considerably increased.

It is evident that the characteristics of the invention can be applied in difierent ways and with apparatus of all kinds of dimensions, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention concerns as Well such drum considered by itself, as its original constitutive parts and the machines in which such drum is applied.

What I claim is:

In a drum having a horizontal axis, for washing machines and similar appliances, the improvement which comprises a cylindrical perforated wall enclosing a cylindrical chamber, which wall comprises two diametrically opposite flat open parts provided with flat perforated doors; a diametrical perforated partition dividing said chamber into two compartments which are in communication through the perforations of said partition, said perforations having the shape of short tubes; each of said flat open parts being located in a separate compartment, and, in each compartment, 21 separate strong re-entrant rib constituting a part of said wall, said ribs being located diametrically opposite each other, wherein said diametiical partition consists of two spaced walls having interengaging projections forming rounded bell-mouthed channels interconnecting the two compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 448,377 Slack Mar. 17, 1891 1,246,723 Cuttle a.. Nov. 13, 1917 2,438,737 Batina Mar. 30, 1948 2,571,197 Buss Oct. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,919 Great Britain 1894 64,754 France June 29, 1955 813,704 Germany Sept. 17, 1951 867,650 France Aug. 18, 1941 

